Dear Kyle Shaw,
I think the white poppy is a great idea. Promoting peace is important any time of year, but especially now. Yet I strongly dissagree with the statement that the red poppy “glorifies war.” The plea of veterans that their service not be in vain is because their actions did serve a valuable purpose. I am morally against any unnecessary violence, but as the daughter of a Dutch immigrant of Jewish decent, I know how important their actions were. My family suffered greatly and were lucky to survive the Nazi occupation. Had it not been for Canadian soldiers I would not be here to write this. November is our time as a nation to remember, give thanks and instill in future generations an understanding of the brutality and uselessness of war. Lest we forget.
By Veronica Post
This article appears in Nov 17-23, 2005.